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After standing for more than 130 years along Maple Street, a four-story greystone in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood is officially no more. Crews demolished the historic structure for an upcoming 22-story development, approved by the Chicago Plan Commission in September.
The old stone building at 16 W. Maple was built in the 1880s as a single-family residence, according to Preservation Chicago. It featured burnt red terracotta ornamentation, including a pair of detailed exterior columns and a decorative lion’s head medallion embedded in the pediment. The structure most recently housed the Merlo on Maple restaurant.
Adieu, adieu 16 W. Maple.
— Preservation Chicago: Love Your City Fiercely! (@Pres_Chicago) October 19, 2019
You will be missed. https://t.co/JMZjgfzFPu pic.twitter.com/hTVrV3X4rS
The old building held an orange designation in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, which required it to serve a 90-day demolition hold after its owners applied for permits to tear the property down. The city-mandated delay expired in August, and the demolition permit was granted in late September, according to Chicago Cityscape.
Its high-rise replacement, designed by Chicago-based architecture firm Booth Hansen, will rise 330 feet and include 18 high-end condo units and retail space on its lower floors. The new building comes from developers David Pisor and James Lasky, who also built the neighboring Maple & Ash steakhouse.
Before the new Gold Coast tower can climb skyward, the adjacent four-story building at 12 W. Maple will need to come down. The commercial structure is currently home to a handful of businesses including a fitness studio and bridal boutique.
Preservationists have long advocated for protecting downtown Chicago’s rapidly dwindling supply of historic (albeit non-landmarked) 19th-century buildings. In March, the Chicago Commission on Landmarks started the process of approving a new historic district that would protect 16 post-fire mansions and row homes on the city’s Near North Side. The Queen Anne greystone at 12 W. Maple, however, was not among those properties.
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